A New Perspective
by Dr.IceKnight
Summary: AU: Spoiler is investigating a new case, her own case, but shes deeper then she thinks and a planned accident leaves Stephanie with no memory of anything super and leaving Tim to believe Stephanie dead, years later she finds a picture that makes her question more then she should, she starts to dig, and that only leads her into trouble, big trouble.
1. Chapter 1

She can feel it, the light weight in her chest, and the bubbly laugh that is actually genuine to her, she loves it, loves the air on her face and the way her arms spread wide in the air. It`s stupid to be up this high but, however high she is but she`s never been so bright and it makes her feel great. Especially when she falls. The wind is slow to meet her, she blinks, once twice. ready to stop but she cant and there it is, that panic that flares over her chest like fire before she hits the water and she`s struggling to breath.

She`s sinking! She knows how to swim, shes great at it, but right now she feels like a rock, she cant see the lights past the surface of the water and when her feet touch the sand at the bottom, and her eyes follow the last tiny bubbles that float from her lips to new air, she knows she`s already dead.

A loud screech interrupted her dream and her eyes flung open.

"Wa~a, I`m up!" She slurred sitting up at her desk, she clears her eyes for a moment before her brain processes the fact that that her class is getting out for the day. Stephanie groaned, running both her hands over her face in both embarrassment and to discreetly clear her face of any drool that might of made home in the corner of her mouth.

Her stomach growled, as if reminding her that her classes where done for the day and she could get something to eat that didnt consist of instant noddles or pizza. She pulled the eggplant colored book-bag into her lap and messily shoved her books into it, probably crunching her Essay she worked all night on, and was the reason she fell asleep in Life Science and her teacher was giving her the stink eye as he prepared for his next class, then she was informed it had to be turned in Via Email. Pst, screw them, what happened to old fashioned just handing in papers.

Steph looked at her watch and cursed lightly, lunch would have to wait, her shift at the Cafe started in ten minutes, she`d just have to settle of cheap nacho`s that the Cafe sold. She got up and hurried out, almost instantly meeting the rest of the school traffic. Last day of school was always hectic and you had to have _skill_ to maneuver around everyone. She liked to think she possessed those skills as she ducked under someone carrying a ladder to start taking down banners or to clean the graffiti off the gym walls that was painted by the school drunks, again.

She ducked her head in an effort not to be seen by her own group of friends as she hurried by, she had to get going and didnt have time to chat sadly enough seeing as she was the talker in the group. Finally she broke free of the crowd of teens who talked too loudly, which might result to hearing loss later in life, he headed straight into slow traffic, waving to someone who stopped for her before she made it to the other side of the street and took off in a mad dash toward her work.

the people walking on the sidewalks is more hectic then the actual traffic, which doesnt surprise her. When there`s a city wrecking thing attacking the city cars kind of are useless when the roads are to backed up to drive, so people walk, plus there are alot of apartments in the city so most things are close by.

She loves that these are the only too reasons for the foot traffic, Gotham, what a city.

Right ahead there are moving men, carrying a dresser to the tall apartment complex, she wants to jump it, just clear it, and as she gets closer the need is like a drug until she sees the the unsteadiness of the way the men are carrying it, it she ever touched it they would drop it, and that would be just rude. So she hits the ground, and slides under with ease, though the concrete kind of messed up the hip of her jeans a little.

She jumped to her feet and pushed through the Cafe door heading to the back and she dropped her bag and grabbed the her card off the wall to sign in, ten seconds before her shift started. She decided to wait those ten seconds seeing the Phil, another worker who was eager to get off work, just to tease the hell out of him.

"Ass." He muttered jokingly as he passed, Steph giggled and thrust the side of her hip into his making him stumble and shake his head in amusement as he left. She tip toed to the counter instantly making a double hot chocolate mocha instantly before sliding across the counter till the mug met fingers that clasped around it.

"Right on schedule." Cassandra said behind her book, placing her bookmark into the crease before closing her book quietly and laying it on the counter with the others in a neat stack.

"I would never miss are chats," Stephanie smiled, nodding to another costumer who asked for a bear claw, she got it for him and turned back to Cassandra.

Cassandra and her had talked ever since she had worked here, though Phil had worked her longer and said that Cass never said anything, she stayed in the corner of the Cafe and read, and read and read. Though when Stephanie arrived she knew she would have none of this and stuck up what ever conversation she could with the girl. Then she realized she couldn't read, and she was desperately trying to learn. What else could she do but try to teach her.

They`d become good friends, Stephanie supplied endless cheery conversation while Cassandra gave great and much needed advice about...everything.

Cassandra was, or used to be, a street kid, until she was adopted by none other then the 'Prince of Gotham' Bruce Wayne, billionaire. Bruce Wayne had five children, that she knew of, and only one was biologically his. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd (Who had died in a bombing in his teens) Timothy Drake, A boy who knew nothing but luxury, his parents were not rich but in no way were they poor, Drake industries was a fast rising company until Timothy`s parents died, WE owned the still slowly rising company, Tim was 18 now and if he wanted to could take back his company and run it again, but he hasnt, being satisfied with his main work at W.E. Cass was the most recent adoption, being that it was a few years ago. The youngest though was Damian Wayne, in the paper`s he looked like such an adorable ten year old kid who looked alot like his father. Except for that pout-like glare on his face, spoiled, maybe.

Stephanie didnt think much of Bruce Wayne, he could be the nicest man in the world to all his 'children' but the fact was, he was still a playboy, a show off, and a little bit of a dreamer. He never used to put much work into his company but now he was working at it, though he had adopted his children at times where it could, they could, be seen as charity cases.

She didnt care about Bruce Wayne, she`d never met him, didnt want to, didnt need to and as long as Cass was happy, or what ever neutral emotion she chose to share with her, she was satisfied.

"Just got out on Summer Vacation," Stephanie grinned more to herself as she made another costumer`s espresso, she glanced over at Cassandra, who was sipping her drink, but years of their friendship and she knew her secluded friend was still listening, "So there`s this party down by the Harbor, wanna come?"

"No."

"Why not?" Stephanie asked, not the least bit downed by her friend`s rejection.

Cassandra put the mug down with a soft clink, "The harbor is know to have more then a few drug deals."

"Then how about the one on Campus?" Stephanie asked, "No drugs there, unless your planing to bring some, which I wouldnt advise."

the corners of the girls lips twitch slightly, "No."

"You say No alot Cass," Steph teased, "you must really like how it sounds."

"My answer, is still no."

Stephanie shrugged, "Your loss."

"Are you still going?" Cass asked blinking.

"Should I?"

"Probably not."

"Uhg!" Stephanie groaned laying her head on the counter, her blonde hair hiding her face, "I. Have. No. Life."

Cassandra said nothing to this, only patted her shoulder lightly. Though she could hear light laughter from her friend. Stephanie closed her eyes and started to laugh with her, lifting her head and laughing even more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure it safe there?" Her mother asked, her skinny arms folded over her chest as she leaned against the door way to Stephanie`s room, a room that was 1/2 packed. Stephanie leaned over a few boxes and turned off the loud music, she was moving into her own apartment in the city and she wouldnt get to play her music this loud where there might be an old couple down the hall that could complain. She turned back to her mother, "Yeah, It`s in a good neighborhood."

"It`s Gotham Stephanie, it`s not a good neighborhood unless it`s five miles out of the city range." Crystal stated with a slight bite.

Stephanie shrugged then headed over to her still in tack bed, and leaned down pulling older boxes out from under it, "I`m sure I can handle myself."

"Hmp." was the only reply she got back.

Sadly she understood her mother`s worry for safety. Her safety. A few years ago, more accurately, four, steph and she was in a car accident with a semi heading to the docks, her mother said she never saw it coming. She didnt remember it, so she didnt know, hell she didnt even remember the two weeks in the hospital. The doctor said she wouldnt remember it, that it was half injury and the other half was trauma, her brain didnt want to remember.

It was later in the day when she called a moving van, and began to head up to her apartment on the third floor, by the time she cleared out the truck it was dark out, and too late to get the rest of her stuff from her mom`s house.

she set up the essentials, Computer, Internet, TV, and organized all her crap in the bathroom before her rattling stomach won over and she scarfed down the rest of chili-dogs her mom had made.

Just before deciding to go to bed she shuffled through the boxes in the living room throwing clothes into a pile near one wall and everything else near another wall. She pulled out a few photo albums and an old back pack, smiling at the stickers and the Stephanie was here writing all over it, with R plus S on the side, she snickered, she didnt even know what R stood for now, that child hood crush must of ended quickly.

Stephanie unzipped it and pulled a few things out, clothes, mostly purple, a few bandage boxes, and a camera. The back screen was completely cracked so she couldnt see any of the pictures so easily. Her curiosity got the best of her and she hooked up the camera up to the computer and skimmed through the pictures one by one, there were pictures of just her, her and her mom, a picture of her dad, the only pic of him, and then there was a figure, it was blurry and colorful. When she skipped to the next one it was clearer.

A boy, young, at the time of the picture he was probably her age. he was smiling a small smile, he had black messy hair, and a small domino mask covered his eyes, optic lenses. What caught her attention was the R on his chest just over his heart.

"Seriously?!" she gaped.

The date was in the right hand corner of then screen, for years ago, April. This was just four weeks before her accident, four weeks, she never knew how much time she was missing, but this boy, she had to of seen him before. Then she had to ask, what was really locked inside her head?

She skipped forward and found a small video, it was dark and all she heard was static for a long moment. until she saw a light on the screen, the camera took a moment to focus but finally it did and a wooden table came into view. There was a short shubby man who she knew as the Penguin, she`s seen him in the paper, and apparently up close, her mind just didnt seem to think it was good enough to remember this.

Four other people surrounded the table, two looked like, and she couldn't believe she was seeing this much less thinking it, ninjas. The other was a woman, normal build but dressed in a greenish-blue out fit from head to toe, her hair long and dark, cutting off near her lower back in a long braid, then there was man, tall, thick, wearing a white suit that looked a little gray in the blinking light of the ware house. He wore a black mask.

They started talking but she wasnt, couldnt really listen in, her fingers traced the small almost unnoticeable scar right in front of her right ear, it disappeared in her hair line, and her fingers searched for it, feeling along the bumps of the scar. What happened to her?

Then the video cut off and Stephanie was left in silence. She stood up, the chair falling to the floor as she did so. She burred her fingers in her dirty blonde hair and gasped, hoping to control her breath, she didnt cry often, almost never, people called her a happy, bubbly person. Right now she felt horrible, something happened to her four years ago, and she didnt remember.

She didnt remember what tied her to Robin, or her 'accident; or this video, or why she had any of these things in her bag.

Her back hit the wall and she slowly slid to the floor, eyes locked on the computer. She found herself asking, Who is Stephanie Brown?


	2. Chapter 2

Stephanie woke up in her make shift bed, now having all the necessary parts for her real bed from her mother`s house, she woke up hoping, wishing it was all just a dream, a crazy, weird dream that would fade away in her memory like a bad taste in her mouth, but it didnt, she remembered the video and the pictures and everything.

As she picked out her clothes and stepped into the shower, hot water running over her skin, and fogging up the mirror, she thought of how her day would go, she could make a deal of this, because it kind of big like that, she could go the the police, demand to turn on that damned bat light of theirs and have a chat with batman, and why she had a picture of his former partner in her computer.

Or she could play it safe, act as if everything was normal, because she was a happy person and she could pulled that mask over her face and remain that happy person forever and never ask question and never get hurt again...and never know what she used to know.

Either way, she`d be sacrificing something, her sanity or her peace of mind. if she looked real close she saw these two things were kind of similar, and it pissed her off just a little bit.

But she prided herself in this moment because she didnt do either of those things, she didnt make it a big deal, at least not to anyone else but herself, and she didnt ignore it like some idiot waiting for something else to happen. She saw a Logo, one of those big neon signs in the background of the picture of Robin, she googled the place and headed over, after asking anyone inside if they knew her, (they didnt) she headed to the roof.

It wasnt a big building, two stories and she didnt find anything worth while, of course not, the picture was taken four years ago, no one would wait four years, in one spot for someone who wouldnt even recognize them with out a mask.

Next she headed into town, in to bad neighborhoods, she knew how to blend in to surroundings like this and it was easy, though she couldnt help the uneasy itch under her skin, nor the fact that she was being watched closer then she would`ve liked. It was the drugies and the prostitutes and the homeless that made her feel this way, how even though no one was looking she felt they all saw her.

Her plan?

That was a good question, a very good question, for the second time today she was faced with two options, though this time she couldnt spit ball some stupid shit idea to go down the middle, no, not this time. She really didnt have a plan, she had idea`s and idea`s had gotten her this far so why not shoot for a strike, or was it a home run? Either way she could watch the video again and try to find something to give her clues as the where the hell it was.

Or she could track down some of the people in the video and demand answers.

Sadly her logic won out and she headed home looking over the stuff in her beg of mystery. The video played as she pulled out a note book, a few pen`s, a rag and- she gasped the moment she noticed what it was, dropping back into the bag like it might explode in a moments notice. But she bravely picked it back up and held the gun in her hands, it was heavy, and loaded. Her father had taught her about guns, if anything else.

Why had she needed a gun, what was so dangerous-

She glanced at the computer then back, oh, yeah, there was that. She put the gun down and grabbed the note pad, opening it up, glade to see there was writing her young slightly sloppy hand writing. finally something

_Carl`s ship yard: Create 789-799 _

Stephanie bit her lip and tore the page out of the small note book, she stood and and grabbed her purple hoodie pulling it on. She ran her hands through er hands as she looked at the door, what was she doing? Going to check out this-this lead? who did she think she was a cop or a damned vigilante. What would she find, and if she did find something then what would she do, who would she tell?

Was she really thinking this through?

Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, this was the third time today she`d been faced with this type of decision and it wasnt even five o'clock yet.

It was safe to say, her shit was messed up.

XXX

"Thank you." She said as the nice portly man handed her the key to her new create at the ship yard. It cost enough to make her wanna reconsider her options on what to do, especially since she would never use the damned container. hell she wasnt even going to see the inside of it, she was here on some stupid lead that she had no right to look into.

Yet here she was.

The man lead her to the gate and opened it, offering to show her the way but she declined, if this guy saw her breaking into another create then the cops would get involved, this was Gotham and all but she wasnt sure anyone would really believe her if she actually told the truth.

Each step she took she tried to look as normal as possible as she counted the numbers on the creates, though she never in her life felt more out of place. As the numbers got bigger and more closer to the numbers written on her hand, a light drizzle started down, giving her an excuse to pull over her purple hood, she felt a little better, but then when she got to Create number 779 a large fence blocked off the rest.

She bit the inside of her cheek that she knew was going to be raw tomorrow and stuffed her hands into her pockets, looked around, turned around a few times to look over her should, and she saw no one, plus if anyone saw her and they wernt suspicious already, then that was there fault.

Steph grabbed the cold, wet, metal chain in hand and climbed it quickly, dropping to the other side at the top of the fence and landing on the ground with a soft flop. She forced herself to not look around and to continue on as if she belonged there, her blue eyes darting up every so ofter only to check the numbers.

"Like I said, the bitch was crazy,"

Stephanie jumped in surprised looking around to see two men about to come around the corner, she instantly responded by quickly pick locking the first container she saw and pulled the metal door closed just as the men was walking by.

"I mean, I know she`s my mom and all but, shit man, it`s like livin` wit` Cujo."

"I hear ya`"

Stephanie took a few steps back from the small crack in the door, seeing both men were armed, what was going on!?

Suddenly the back of her foot hit something and her brain didnt seem to register this before taking around step and slipping backwards and tripping over what she assumed was a tiny create, but she landed on a not so sturdy larger one, the wood instantly splintered as her back connected with it and she was on the floor, or more accurately, as she felt around, laying on a small pile of guns.

"Omigod, omigod, omigod." she gasped, what had she gotten herself into?

The door suddenly opened and she was faced down by the same to men who had just walked by not too long ago, who looked just as surprised as she was, her sitting in a pile of broken wood and guns, and them just plain having guns, it probably the most . warning bells went off in every part of her brain when she saw their guns.

"Who the fuck are you?" the man on the left growled.

What had she gotten herself into?!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I havent Thanked you guys/gals, for the awesome reviews yet so thank you, much appreciated :D**

"I said, who the fuck are you?" The man growled, he wore a black jacket and baggy pants, all he really needed was a gold chain that had some type of number on it to be a cheesy gangster. The other man looked some what normal and he had a hat on, or it was more like a cap, maybe his mother made it for him, maybe this was the one who was being so disrespectful to the poor woman who had this ass-hole for a son.

"Um," she said, swallowing, and hoping she didnt sound as worried as she felt, "Health inspector?"

"Screw this," the man with the hat hissed to the other, "If Penguin finds out were not guarding this place then he`ll rip us a new one."

He pointed the gun at her and Stephanie shifted, panic flaring in her stomach like a wild fire cracking and burning everything in its path.

"I say we kill da` bitch." the man in the black jacket said with the utmost certainty, "throw her in the bay?"

Stephanie grabbed the gun closest to her and in an instant threw it at them, hitting one man in the nose, just as the other man took a moment the try and processes what happened she stumbled up and forward throwing her fist into the mans jaw, then she lifted her leg and shoved her foot into his chest, making the him fall back. She didnt waste time on running out of the container, stepping on the first man`s groin as she left.

She ran, and she ran fast, faster then she though possible, maybe if her gym teacher had a gun she might of had a better time running her mile. her feet pounded on the pavement even harder when the fence came closer into view. the rain beat down harder as well, she couldnt see the drops because of the darkening sky but she felt the drops through her hoody.

Her hood flew back from the wind and she took now to look behind her seeing the two men perusing, one paused a a sound hit the air, a gun shot. she cried out only in fear. she slammed into the fence not wasting any more time in climbing it, she was going to drop from the top again but another shot made her hands slip on the metal and she fell, landing on her side, she hissed in pain but got scrambled to her feet quickly and continued on, not stopping.

Though she did take another moment to look back again seeing the man just getting over the fence.

_Run Stephanie Run!_

and she did flying around the corner and seeing the second fence, the entrance, sadly she didnt see the man anywhere, there was a parked along the side of the fence on her side and she jumped onto the roof and then jumped for the fence, grabbing it tight and throwing her legs over it and rolling when she hit the ground.

she ran toward the street and just as she made it a black van pulled up in front of her, she stumbled to a halt, she couldnt see the people inside because of the tinted windows but once again warning bells shot off inside her head like nothing else and she took off down the road, just missing being hit by bullets from the two men behind her.

This wasnt a bad neighborhood but then again it wasnt a good one either, plus no one would risk their life to save hers, especially when it looked every bit gang related. No, this was worse, this was penguin.

_Left! _

the words flashed across her mind like neon lights, she had no better idea`s so she went left. Her feet hitting the side walk hard but her legs were hurting, throbbing and her chest was going to start heaving in a moment, she couldnt keep running.

_keep running! _

"damnit!" she yelled, moving faster, pushing the few people that were on the sidewalk out of her way with a hard shove as she continued to run. The sound of screeching tires made her move all the more faster.

_Right! Go Right!_

She had on second of hesitation but when she saw the hands and guns coming out of the tinted windows she veered right into traffic and continued on as fast as her legs could carry her, heading down the alley-way, and out the other way, no car could fit threw the alley so she took only a moment to lean against the wall. Her hair was already soaked along with her hoody, and it was still raining.

Her breath came in short gasp to try and catch her breath, but she knew she couldnt sit here forever, she placed a hand on the building ready to continue when a shot filled the air and her shoulder erupted in pain. Stephanie cried out, her hand flying to her shoulder, and without thinking she started running again.

thunder rippled over the sky and just as she was crossing the street the black van chose to swing by, she jumped right out of the way of the car, her body slamming into the ground and rolling, more pain shot threw her and she took a moment, just a moment to before she put her hands under her and pushed her self shakily to her feet.

She stumbled into an alley way, black dots dancing in her eyes.

_Move Steph, move! _

She shifted down the alley way in a hard turn, almost losing her footing, the sight of the fire escape, even if it was rusty, old and probably a hazard to everyone who set foot on it, to her, it was a sight for sore eyes. she jumped for the rungs of the lander, crying out when the wound on her shoulder flashed with even more pain. She bit her lip, hard, she tasted the iron taste of her own blood before she managed to bear through the pain and pull herself up.

Her lungs burning for air as she did this twice more before she hit the roof and she ran, jumping over the small gap between the two buildings then the next.

Then she was met by a gap, it was wide, too wide leap. Her breath hitched in her throat as she thought about trying to jump the gap that was in front of her. Maybe they were gone, maybe they didnt see her climb the fire-escape.

"There she is!" Someone yelled from behind, and her heart pounded faster, maybe not.

_God damnit Stephanie Brown, JUMP!_

Then she saw it, and ran to the edge of the roof and did exactly that, she jumped. Below her, in the street was a construction site, during a fight that one of Gotham`s many vigilantes had recently, the road had been blown, showing the sewer underneath, with the rain and the fact this sewer ran from one bay to the next as a filter, there was a chance she would survive, she just hoped she judged the distance right.

XXX

Stephanie gasped, sucking in deep breaths as she climbed the stairs, she came to her door and leaned down, her fingers sliding under the mat and reaching for the key, only to find it was gone. She lifted her eyes and looked at the door, glaring as hard as she could. She`d been threatened, chased, shot at, _hit_, and found out that she couldnt remember something really god-damn important.

And right now, she was tired, she was dirty and sweaty and bleeding, and _pissed. _She wasnt leaving, if someone was at her home, they were the ones leaving.

She pushed the unlocked door open, ready to give hell when she saw her mother standing in her living room and looking over her sofa, something she must have had delivered.

"Mom." She gasped.

Her mother looked up, surprised and pleased at the same time till her eyes caught up with the sight of her daughter and the state she was it, she hurried over and grabbed her arms, "Stephanie!"

She wanted to fall against her mother`s arms so bad,j ust to rest, even for one second, but something inside her told her straight up, No. Instead she took a step back and slam the front door close, "Mom, I-I want you to tell me what happened."

Her mother gave her a blinking look, "I was just about to ask you that, my god Stephanie!"

She moved away from her mothers touch, "No," she walked over to her computer desk, and grabbed the camera and threw it to her mother who caught it in surprise, she looked and up at her and Stephanie gestured to it, "there are pictures in there, things I dont remember, people I dont remember, it wasnt a car accident, was it? that gave me this." she said, running her fingers through her wet blonde hair.

Crystal opened her mouthm dumbfounded for a moment before she sighed, glancing down at the camera that turned in her hand again and again, "I thought I had gotten rid of it all." the blonde nurse looked up, a stoic look in her blue eyes, "No, No it wasnt a car accident, it-the harbor, the docks blew up right under you Stephanie, someone tried to kill you."

"_why!_" she cried , moving her hands about angrily.

"Because," Crystal said, her voice small as she tried to speak again, "you were, you were going out as, as a vigilante. Spoiler, y-you started it becasue of your father, to _spoil _his crimes, you and Batman and...Robin, were something of a small group, I-I never knew not till your...accident, Batman told me. We both knew that because of your head injury you wouldnt remember, so we kept you from that life...and that life away from you."

"How?" She said.

Her mother hesitated.

"How?!"

"We said you died, Spoiler died." Her mother said, slightly louder, she hurried forward, "Stephanie, I swear, I never wanted to hurt you, Hell I did this to protect you! Because look what happens when you dig Stephanie! Your only going to get yourself hurt!"

"You never told me..." Stephanie whispered, "Get out."

"Steph-"

"GET OUT!"

It only took seconds for her mother to realize that she needed to do exactly that, leaving Stephanie in her apartment alone. Stephanie glared at the closed door for a long as she could before she crumbled to the floor, sobbing into her hands, everything she knew was a lie, a lie surrounding the fact that she had been a vigilante know as Spoiler.

She had worked with Batman and Robin, she had spoiled her fathers plans, and only they knew, because she sure as hell didnt.


End file.
